A healthy employee is a happy and productive worker so it only makes sense that companies should motivate employees to take care of their health. After all, every sick day costs the company valuable time and money.
From improving diets to encouraging exercise, we’ve gathered a list of ways that employers can motivate employees to take better care of themselves.
Provide Healthy Snack Choices
Get rid of the soda and snack machines that are filled with unhealthy snacks that lead to midday crashes and fail to provide nutrients. Instead, provide fresh fruit and veggies or packages of nuts to give employees a healthy snack option and a much-needed energy boost to get through the day.
Choose Nutritious Catering Options
If you’re planning to order food for meetings or office parties, set a good example by selecting restaurants that offer healthy meals and skip the carb-heavy and sugar-loaded donuts and muffins.
Create a Smoke Free Workplace
While many office buildings are now smoke-free, you should also consider banning smoking in company vehicles and at company events. The less opportunities you give your employees to smoke, the less damage the smoke can do to their health.
Encourage Employees to Quit Smoking
You may be able to control what your employees do on company time but their health decisions outside of work hours can still affect your bottom line. Create a program that encourages them to quit smoking by offering incentives and providing tools and counseling services.
Incentive Exercise
Start a wellness program that offers incentives for people to get active. Provide wearable fitness trackers to employees to keep track of health stats, such as steps taken, miles walked or calories burned, and use the data to motivate employees. Create wellness challenges to bring out everyone’s competitive spirit and offer a prize to the person or team who wins.
Get Moving At Work
Instead of gathering around a conference table for your next meeting, host a walking meeting instead. You can discuss work just as effectively while stretching your legs and getting your blood pumping. Just be sure to remind your employees to bring their walking shoes, especially if you don’t work in a casual environment.
Host Work Outs At the Office
Hire a fitness instructor to come to your office before or after work to offer group exercise sessions. You could even host workout events during lunch. People may be more likely to get active and participate due to the convenience of not having to go off site.
Consider Alternative Work Stations
Standing desks are a great alternative to traditional desks as simply standing burns more calories than sitting. It also improves your posture, reduces eye strain and lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease. You can even take it a step further by encouraging people to use cycle chairs.
Improve Mental Health
While physical health is often the top concern, you shouldn’t neglect your employees’ mental health either. Consider improving their work-life balance by offering flexible hours or the ability to work from home part-time to reduce stress. Offering access to a counselor is another great way to improve mental health.
Offer Health Screenings
Bring the doctor to your workplace and offer in-house health screenings. Your employees will likely appreciate being able to skip the trip to the doctor’s office and may be more likely to get a check up, which can catch preventative
A Healthier Work Place Coming Soon
Follow these guidelines to motivate employees to make better health and wellness choices and you’ll find yourself with happier, healthier employees in no time. Encouraging healthy decisions is a win-win for everyone!
